Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Labor Day Picnic Ideas - Food Safety

USDA Joins Grill Sergeants For Safe BBQ Advice




History of Labor Day


Resource
1. 
Eating Outdoors, Handling #FoodSafely  #FDA  http://bit.ly/2PlRids






Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Culinarians Day
A Tribute to the Culinary Arts Profession


Culinary education is available from a wide number of institutions offering diploma, associate, and bachelor degree programs in culinary arts. Depending on the level of education, this can take one to four years. An internship is often part of the curriculum. Most professional kitchens follow the apprenticeship system.

These are some of the most well-known culinary schools in the food-service industry and culinary arts.

Health and Nutrition
About twenty years ago, a dear friend who was a chef told me, “If it is not made from real butter and real cream, it is not real food.” Sadly, he passed away from heart disease.

Nutrition and food safety is now a part of all culinary school curriculums. Some dietitians have certification in the culinary arts and are creating healthy cuisines that have grown in popularity.

More chefs are teaming up with dietitians to meet the community's needs. Even Elmo and White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass talk about the importance of healthy and delicious school meals.


The videos below give you a history of the profession during the 20th and 21st centuries. As we move towards the present, you will notice how health and nutrition play an important role in the development of new cuisines and the modification of traditional favorites.


The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), a professional organization for chefs and cooks, was founded in 1929 in New York City by three chefs’ organizations: the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, the Vatel Club and the Chefs de Cuisine Association of America. They are an organization based on promoting the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education of culinarians at all levels.

In 1976, ACF forever changed the culinary industry by elevating the position of the executive chef from service status to the professional category in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Dictionary of Official Titles. Since this change, the culinary industry has grown tremendously.

ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation designed to enhance professional growth for all current and future chefs and pastry chefs. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef and Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and combat childhood obesity.


The American Culinary Federation (ACF)
Culinary Team USA 2012

Seven chefs unite to take on the challenge of their careers. They will compete in a global event to test their skills like never before. They are ACF Culinary Team USA.


Elmo joins White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass in the White House kitchen to talk about the importance of healthy and delicious school meals following President Obama's signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.  This legislation is an important step forward toward ensuring that no child goes to school hungry and that all children have access to healthy, nutritious foods at school.



Research Chefs Association (RCA)
Formed in 1996 by a group of food professionals with a common interest in the challenges facing the profession. RCA has become the premier source of culinary and technical information for the food industry, with a professionally diverse membership including chefs, food scientists, and other industry professionals who are shaping the future of food research and development.


What is Culinology®?
"It is the blending of culinary arts and food science, promoted by the Research Chefs Association. This fast-growing discipline is gaining popularity in the industry and popping up in degree programs at the college level because the food product development industry is demanding that their professionals have a combination of
culinary and food science skills."


  


Tuesday, June 18, 2024

International Picnic Day. Your Guide to the Perfect Picnic



June 18 is International Picnic Day, an informal food holiday. On this day, food is brought from home or a market and eaten outdoors. 

The origin of picnic day dates back to medieval times. After a successful hunt, people would gather outside for a picnic. International Picnic Day was possibly developed and promoted to bring families together for outside activities, family reunions, exercise, relaxation, and an appreciation of nature.


Traditional foods served on International Picnic Day include salads, sandwiches, beverages, and desserts. If a grill is available, include cooked meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables. 


Picnic Food Safety

Before setting out your picnic feast, ensure your hands and surfaces are clean.

Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth. Meat, poultry, and seafood should be packed while frozen to stay colder longer.

Pack beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. This will prevent the perishable foods from being exposed to warm outdoor temperatures.

Limit the times the cooler is opened to keep the contents cold longer.

Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped. This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared and cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under tap water before packing them in the cooler.


Picnic Recipes.
1. Top Picnic Recipes. Good Foods.
2. Perfectly Portable Picnic Recipes, Food Network.
3. Best Picnic Recipes That Are Easy to Make and Take with You, Country Living.
4. Picnic Recipes, Allrecipes


For more food safety tips, visit 










June 18, International Sushi Day
Sushi Safety





Sushi is rich in omega-3s and healthy fatty acids. There are several different types of sushi: 

Nigiri Sushi. Mounds of sticky rice are wrapped or layered with seafood and other ingredients.

Maki Sushi. Sticky rice and other ingredients are rolled into a cylinder using thin sheets of dried seaweed.

Sashimi. Sliced raw fish, served with a variety of condiments.

Condiments for Sushi
Soy sauce. Many people blend some of the wasabi with soy sauce to make a tasty dipping sauce for their sushi.

Wasabi. Japanese horseradish and it's HOT; comes as a powder that you make into a thick, bright green paste by adding liquid.

Pickled Ginger. Used to help cleanse the palate and offer relief from the hot wasabi.


Sushi Safety


How safe is the raw fish in sushi? 

Commercial freezing for at least 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit kills the parasitic worms and their larvae. Note home freezers usually cannot reach temperatures this low. 

Precautions:

• Order sushi from reputable restaurants where the restaurant and fish provider follow food safety standards.
• Eating fish cooked completely is always the safest.
• The FDA recommends pregnant or individuals with compromised immune systems (young children, the elderly, and persons with chronic illness) should not risk eating raw fish.
• Never make your own sushi with raw fish unless you can freeze the fish for more than 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, use cooked fish or vegetables.
• Proper handling and preparation are crucial to ensure the safety of sushi made with raw fish.
• After purchasing raw seafood, fish, and sushi rice; refrigerate immediately below 41ºF until ready to serve.
• Preparing rice with vinegar lowers the pH and helps slow the bacterial growth rate.
• Once sushi rolls and sashimi are prepared, refrigerate immediately until serving.
• Cross-contamination is a concern since sushi is made with raw and cooked fish. To prevent cross-contamination, raw and cooked fish must be physically separated during preparation. Use different utensils, cutting boards, and surfaces.

Saturday, April 27, 2024

World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Foodborne Disease Control and Prevention





"Worldwide, occupational diseases continue to be the leading cause of work-related deaths. According to ILO estimates, out of 2.34 million occupational fatalities every year, only 321,000 are due to accidents. The remaining 2.02 million deaths are caused by various types of work-related diseases, which correspond to a daily average of more than 5,500 deaths. This is an unacceptable Decent Work deficit.

The inadequate prevention of occupational diseases has profound negative effects not only on workers and their families but also on society at large due to the tremendous costs that it generates; particularly, in terms of loss of productivity and burdening of social security systems."



On Apr 28, 1970 (signed into law in 1971) was the founding of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).


Safety in Restaurants
Slips and Falls


Foodborne Disease OSHA Standards
Control and Prevention

Control of foodborne diseases is based on avoidance of contaminated food, destruction of contaminants, and prevention of further spread of contaminants. Prevention is dependent upon proper cooking and storing practices, and personal hygiene of food handlers.

The quality of food and controls used to prevent foodborne diseases are primarily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local public health authorities. These diseases may be occupationally related if they affect the food processors (e.g., poultry processing workers), food preparers and servers (e.g., cooks, waiters), or workers who are provided food at the worksite.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

Resources
1. Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention for Healthcare Workers - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health


National Office
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

Thursday, November 23, 2023

National Leftover Day
Do you have Thanksgiving leftovers?

Leftovers
Recipe: Thanksgiving Turkey Leftover Sandwich 

Ingredients
3 ounces Roasted Turkey, sliced
3 Tablespoons Cranberry Sauce
3 Tablespoons Homemade Stuffing
2 slices Whole Grain Bread


Leftovers
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours. Keep your freezer at 0°F and the fridge below 40°F. Foods held at temperatures above 40 °F for more than 2 hours should not be consumed. Use an appliance thermometer to monitor temperatures.



Use the chart below as a guide.

To learn more about food safety, visit http://www.homefoodsafety.org/


For the Refrigerator Door

Food Safety Musical - Don't Be a Gambler


Wednesday, August 23, 2023

National Water Quality Month - How much do kids Need?





When the water in our rivers, lakes, and oceans becomes polluted, the effects can be far-reaching. It can endanger wildlife, make our drinking water unsafe, and threaten the waters where we swim and fish.


The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the federal law that protects public drinking water supplies throughout the nation. Under the SDWA, the 
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for drinking water quality and with its partners implements various technical and financial programs to ensure drinking water safety.




The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA's purpose is to ensure that: all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work; national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information; federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively; environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy; all parts of society - communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments - have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks; environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive; and the United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment. So what happened in Flint, Michigan and are other communities are at risk?



Drinking Water in your Home
Many people choose to filter or test the drinking water that comes out of their tap or from their private well for a variety of reasons. And whether at home, at work, or while traveling, many Americans drink bottled water.

Resource
World Water Week, Stockholm International Water Institute.




Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Kids Eat Right Month - The Kid Friendly Kitchen


Help your kids start young and master simple cooking tasks before moving on to more complex skills. Use these age-appropriate ideas to keep your kids excited, safe and well-educated in the kitchen! To learn more, visit Kids Eat Right at Kid-Friendly Kitchen Tasks Infographic


 



Friday, July 9, 2021

National Grilling Month - Safe Grilling Tips



Summer Grilling - Food Safety Tips with Chef Michael

Top 14 Healthy Summer Grilling Recipes
Recipe Compilations | Allrecipes.com


Grilling is a form of cooking involving dry heat applied to the surface of food, usually from above or below. Grilling involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly.

Grilling is often performed outdoors, using charcoal, real wood, preformed briquettes, or propane gas. Mesquite or hickory wood chips (damp) may be added on top of the coals to allow a smoldering effect that provides additional flavor to the food. Other hardwoods such as pecan, apple, maple, and oak may also be used.

Gridironing is the cooking of meats or other foods using a grill suspended above a heat source. This cover can be used for smokers for grilling, roasting, or barbecuing.

Risks of Grilling

Studies show cooking beef, pork, poultry, and fish at high temperatures can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCA), benzopyrenes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are carcinogens. Grilling is frequently presented as a healthy alternative to cooking with oil, although the fat and juices lost by grilling can contribute to drier food.

Healthy Grilling Tips

1. Grill Fruits and Vegetables. Grilling fruits and vegetables is a way to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, obesity, and some types of cancer.

PAHs and HCAs do not form on grilled fruits and vegetables. In addition, if you are having grilled meat, the fruits and vegetables will provide antioxidants.

2. Grill with Lean Meat. Choose lean meats or trim visible fat and skin to limit the amount of fat that drips on the coals.

3. Marinating.  It is possible to reduce carcinogens when grilling meat or lessen their effect. Garlic, rosemary, basil, mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, olive oil, and cherries have been shown to reduce the formation of both HCAs and PAHs by as much as 92% to 99%. Choosing the right marinade ingredients limits the fat dripping on the coal. Select wines, vinegar, lemon, lime juice, low-sodium soy sauce, honey, onions, herbs, spices, fat-free or low-fat marinades on your grilled meats, fish, and poultry.

Meats and poultry should marinate at least 1-2 hours; fish and vegetables usually only need to marinate for an hour. Marinating enhances the flavor of meats, fruits, and vegetables.

4. Cut Down on Grilling Time. Grill smaller portions of meat, poultry, and fish so they cook faster and spend less time on the grill. Another method is pre-cooking the meat in the microwave and then draining meat juices so they do not fall onto flames, preventing the release of PAHs.

A skewer or brochette is a fun way to cook small pieces of food. The resulting food product is often called a "kabob" which means "to grill" in Persian.

5. Cooking Temperatures. Make sure to bring a cooking thermometer. Cook beef to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and poultry to 165 degrees
Fahrenheit.

Resources
1. Wikipedia, Grilling
2. WebMD, A Healthier Way to Grill 








Wednesday, May 12, 2021

National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day



Build a Pet Survival Kit


Food. At least a 3 day supply in an airtight, waterproof container.

Water. At least 3 days of water specifically for your pets.

Medicines and medical records.

Important documents. Registration information, adoption papers, and vaccination documents. Talk to your veterinarian about microchipping and enrolling your pet in a recovery database.

First aid kit. Cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape, and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol, and saline solution. Including a pet first aid reference book.

Collar or harness with ID tag, rabies tag, and a leash.

Crate or pet carrier. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.

Sanitation. Pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, and household chlorine bleach.

A picture of you and your pet together.





Saturday, April 25, 2020

National Youth Sports Safety Month and Nutritional Needs

Written by Tracy S. Williams, BS, Nutrition Educator. 
Learn more about Tracy at Tracy's Plate


April is National Youth Sports Safety Month, created to focus attention on sports safety and injury prevention for children and teen athletes. Proper nutrition is also important for healthy youth athletics. Eating right will help children and teens to be healthier and stronger for competition and in their daily life.

National Playground Safety Week is a time to focus on children's outdoor play environments. A time to pledge to use good judgment when playing. A time for gratitude for all the adults who work tirelessly on maintaining our playgrounds.



Feeding Young Athletes

While feeding a child athlete may seem like a challenge, it only requires a little knowledge and extra planning. Children need optimal nutrition for fueling and recovery from training as well as meet the calorie demands of growth and maturation. It is important to help kids refuel with carbohydrates, focusing on family mealtime before and after practice or competition.

It is ideal for the family to sit down together for a pre-game breakfast. Three hours beforehand, an optimal pre-game breakfast could include sliced and slightly grilled potatoes, paired with scrambled eggs and nutrient-rich fruit such as berries and orange juice or fat-free or low-fat milk. Hydration is always important before, during and after practice and competitions. Dehydration occurs when your child fails to adequately replace fluid loss through sweating. Dehydration that exceeds 2% of body weight loss harms exercise performance, so make sure your child replace fluid loss after exercise performance, so make sure your child drinks small amounts of water throughout the game. Potassium and carbohydrates are important nutrients to replenish after exercise. Potassium and carbohydrates are found in bananas, potatoes, and fat-free or low-fat yogurt or milk. Chocolate milk is a particularly good post-competition recovery beverage.

If you have more than one child in sports, the hours after practice or a weekday competition may require snacking before dinner. Have pre-prepared snacks ready when kids arrive home hungry after a hard after-school practice or game. These snacks can be cut-up fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt and smoothies. For a tasty and filling post-game family dinner, serve baked or broiled lean cuts of meat such as lean beef or pork, chicken breast, salmon or tuna. Add whole grains, like whole-wheat pasta with a low-fat tomato or cheese sauce. Toss in vegetables or include a side salad. Parents and kids should complete their meal with fruit for dessert, such as baked apples or pears along with a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk. Or create an instant yogurt parfait with layers of low-fat vanilla yogurt, fresh, frozen or canned fruit, and crunchy whole grain cereal. Be sure to consume all five food groups throughout the day, protein, grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy to give your family and young athletes the nutrients and calories they need.

Eating Adequate Calories and Nutrients

Young athletes often push themselves harder than usual, training intensely to gain a competitive edge. This increased activity requires eating more calories to meet the demands of training and recovery in addition to calories needed for growth and development. Children and teens may not understand how their calorie need translate into daily food choices. Bone health is a major concern as girls and boys build 60 to 80 percent of their lifetime bone mass by age 18. If young athletes restrict their eating to keep weight down for sports like gymnastics, skating or wrestling, bone growth may be diminished. Restricted diets can also be low in calcium, vitamin D, which contributes to poor bone formation.

Other potential effects of eating too few calories are increased the risk of injury, and lowered endurance and decreased muscle strength. It can also reduce response to training, decrease coordination, and impair judgment and increase irritability and depression. The good news is correcting low-calorie intake can get athletic performance back to optimum levels.

It is important for parents to teach their children about the calorie demands of their training and the relationship proper nutrition, to good bone health and injury prevention and optimal training. Keep an eye out for weight loss and changes in mood as well as create a supportive environment in which girls and boys can consume three meals and one to three snacks per day. Missing one meal on a regular basis can result in an inadequate calorie intake.

School Nutrition for Athletes

A well-balanced diet provides children and teen athletes with the calories and nutrients they need to power their workouts and support their rapid growth. According to a study in the 2006 Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, children and teens who play team sports have slightly better eating habits and higher intakes of key nutrients than kids who do not, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Today breakfast is often available at school, so if students are late risers or are not ready to eat when they get up in the morning, they can still grab breakfast before class. When kids do not eat breakfast, they miss out on a big chunk of their day’s nutrition. That can rob them of important nutrients and also take its toll on their energy levels at practice later in the day.

Active kids need protein to support growth and build and repair hardworking muscles. Today protein is leaner than ever because of USDA guidelines encouraging schools to limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of overall calories. That means leaner meats, skinless chicken and low-fat dairy in yogurt parfaits, bean and cheese burritos, and egg and cheese wraps for breakfast. Turkey burgers and southwestern chef salads and rice and bean bowls at lunch.

Carbohydrates are the optimal fuel for sports and exercise because they are naturally used for proper energy. The best place to get them is from slowly digested, nutrient-rich whole grains. At breakfast, kids will now start their day with whole grain versions of cereal, mini pancakes, and zucchini or banana bread. For lunch, they will dig into whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken sandwiches on whole grain buns and baked chicken tenders with brown rice.

Good hydration should begin early in the day before kids even set foot on the playing field. While sports drinks might be a smart move, water is better for hydration for training that only lasts an hour. Sports drinks are best when used for a two-hour training session or during games.

Parents can provide nutritious meals after a game or training session. Hard training could contribute to an eating disorder if athletes do not have proper nutrition. School cafeterias can contribute to proper nutrition for student-athletes. Nutrition will always be a key component for the safety and strength for all athletes.
           


Friday, May 19, 2017

National Bike to Work Day and National Bicycle Month


May, National Bicycle Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists.

MissionTo promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.

History. The League was founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880. Bicyclists, known then as "wheelmen", were challenged by rutted roads of gravel and dirt and faced antagonism from horsemen, wagon drivers, and pedestrians.

In an effort to improve riding conditions, more than 100,000 cyclists from across the United States joined the League to advocate for paved roads. The success of the League in its first advocacy efforts ultimately led to our national highway system.

Benefits of Bike Riding
People ride bicycles for all sorts of reasons, from better health, to saving money on fuel, and helping the environment. In addition, bike riding is a lot of fun.


Bike Safety - Introduction to Bike Safety 
and Sharing the Road


Danger Rangers Bike Safety PSA


Food Art: Bicycle Built for Two
The song "Bicycle Built for Two" was written in 1892.
The American bicycle history spans over 100 years.


Resource
The League provides education for cyclists, including bicycle safety.To learn more about the League of American Bicyclists, visit their website at http://www.bikeleague.org. 

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

National Nutrition Month:
Put Your Best Fork Forward for Food Safety


* Rinse and wash fruits before preparing or eating them. Under clean, running water, rub fruits briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms. Dry with a clean cloth towel or paper towel after rinsing.
* Keep fruits separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood while shopping, preparing and storing.






Thursday, April 28, 2011

April 28th. World Day for Safety and Health at Work

The 2011 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the implementation of an Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) as a tool for continual improvement in the prevention of workplace incidents and accidents.

On Apr 28, 1970 (signed into law in 1971) was the founding of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

 

Safety in Restaurants
Slips and Falls


Foodborne Disease OSHA Standards
Control and Prevention

Control of foodborne diseases is based on avoidance of contaminated food, destruction of contaminants, and prevention of further spread of contaminants. Prevention is dependent upon proper cooking and storing practices, and personal hygiene of food handlers.

The quality of food, and controls used to prevent foodborne diseases, are primarily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local public health authorities. These diseases may be occupationally related if they affect the food processors (e.g., poultry processing workers), food preparers and servers (e.g., cooks, waiters), or workers who are provided food at the worksite.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".


Safety Orientation for Healthcare

The OSHA Safety Orientation for Healthcare materials show employees how to protect themselves from some of the most common hazards. For more information on these materials please contact National Safety Compliance at 1.877.922.7233 or visit http://www.osha-safety-training.net/.




Occupational Safety and Health Administration
40 Year History

 

National Office
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

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